Unigeo, a.s. - Soil Mechanics Laboratory Automation

Shear characteristics and compressibility of soils according CSN EN 72 1027, CSN EN 72 1030, CSN 72 EN 1031 standards. Independent parallel operation of a set of eight oedometers, one direct shear tester and one triaxial shear tester. Controlled parameters: pressure up to 10 atm, displacement speed 0.002 - 5 mm/min. Measured parameters: displacement (specimen thickness) with precision of 0.001 mm, force up to 5 kN. Duration of measurement on one specimen tens of minutes up to 7 days. Sample rate in seconds. Automated switching of pre-configured modes during the measurement. Automated termination of the measurement after the conditions specified in EN CSN standards are met. Automated calculation of the soil characteristics from the measured data. Saving of the measured and calculated data and its retrieval and viewing. Protocol printing and saving in PDF format. Data backup on a dedicated computer within the intranet. Software application running on the control PC developed in LabVIEW graphical development system from National Instruments. Soil testers were equipped with digital dial gauges SYLVAC and Megatron force transducers. All transducers were calibrated at accredited calibration labs UNIMETRA a TZÚS. Individual testers controlled with AMIT control system from AMIT s.r.o. The control PC communicates with AMIT control system via RS-485 interface. Design, manufacturing and installation of electrical and pressed-air compartments in co-operation with partner company TEMEX, s.r.o. Replacement of an out-dated DC drive of the direct shear tester with an asynchronous drive using Siemens motor and Mitsubishi converter.